Known as “The Gathering Place,” Oahu is the third largest island of the Hawaiian Islands, yet is the most populous with about 75% of the state’s population, which is about 900,000 residents. Oahu is made up of two separate shield volcanoes: Wai’anae in the West and Ko’olau in the East with a broad valley running down the middle known as the central Oahu Plain. Oahu’s largest city is Honolulu, which is also the state capital and main port. Major geographical features on Oahu include Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Kane’ohe Bay, Kailua Bay, and North Shore. Located just next to Honolulu is Waikiki, the main tourist center of Hawaii.

Although Oahu may be isolated in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, it still has great dining, shopping, and entertainment to offer all of its residents and guests. Popular beaches on Oahu include Hanauma Bay, which is excellent for snorkeling, Waikiki Beach, Kailua Beach, Sunset Beach, and Ala Moana Beach. Other popular sites of interest include Diamond Head, Pali Lookout, USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri, the Polynesian Cultural Center, Ala Moana Shopping Center, Bishop Museum, and the Honolulu Academy of Arts. For those who can’t get enough of Oahu, much of the land west of Honolulu is currently being developed for numerous housing projects.